Can't they just stay this way forever?

Violet keeps things interesting

Anyone want to see a list of the medical problems we have had in the last week?
abnormal newborn screening results
abnormal re-test results
fever
sore throats
runny noses
congestion
coughs
yeast infection (or in Violet's words, "itchy bum")
eye infection
and my favorite... projectile vomiting.
And somehow, I still enjoy having two kids more than I thought I would. Not that I thought that I wouldn't enjoy it, but I did think that there would be days where I wanted to shoot myself mixed moments where I loved it. Instead, there are days when I love it and moments when I want to shoot myself-- a totally manageable combination. For me, having two kids isn't much more difficult than having one. Of course, it isn't easy when your one kid likes to communicate by screaming, or try to see how high Charlie's bouncy chair will bounce while he's still in it, or point to your stretch marks and ask why you have stripes, or tell you that she wants to potty train and then proceed to pee on the floor and yell "I'm pee-peeing!" and then poop in the closet after she specifically told you she didn't have to poop, or try to lift your cover and expose you while nursing at the park, or shove you out of the way 86 times a day and yell "Let me do it!"
That's okay, because no matter how hard it is to deal with these things as they happen, I laughed even harder thinking about them just now. I totally love my kids.

Cracks me up

So, Violet LOVES Charlie. Pretty much thinks he's the coolest thing in the world. And when she talks about him, she makes me laugh.

Violet: I want to feed Charlie.
Me: How do you plan on doing that?
Violet: With my big breasts!
Me: I don't think so. Only mommy can feed him.
Violet: Oh yeah. I have little ones.
.............
(as Charlie is crying in the car)
Me: Violet, can you find Charlie's binkie?
Violet: No.
Me: Please? He really needs his binkie.
Violet: No, he's fine.

This year's plans

Last year's failures have not deterred me from making a list of resolutions for this year.  I've heard a lot of people say that insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.  I'm pretty sure that's actually not the definition of insanity.  But if it is, then we are all insane for making resolutions year after year.  I guess there are worse things to be than insane.

1.  Enjoy cooking more.  I really don't like to cook.  Violet tries to "help" and Brandon doesn't like a lot of the same foods that I do (sour cream, avocado, tomato, bell peppers, cream cheese, soups). If I find easier recipes that my family actually likes, maybe it will be less stressful for me.  And maybe with Bexar's help, I will make more desserts, too!

2.  Make more friends.  I've finally accepted that Jennifer isn't around anymore to go out to lunch with me all the time.

3. Paint 5 things.  Didn't happen last year, and who knows if it will this year.  But there's no harm in making a goal.

4. Excercise... a little.  Maybe I will do a 10k by the end of the year now that I have a nice jogging stroller.  I know, I'm really reaching for the stars here.

5. Take a fun family trip.  Maybe Sea World, or Enchanted Rock, or Guadalupe, or all three.  Brandon gets to go to Chile, Australia, and France this year, so I think we can manage a small Texas trip.  Or I could just go to France with him.

6.  Take good pictures.  I took a few baby pictures of Charlie already, but I still haven't captured that bright-eyed look he has in the morning.  But I LOVE those chubby cheeks.

 

By the way, Charlie was 9 lbs 12 oz at his 2 week checkup.  Normally they only expect the baby to be back at birth weight at the 2-week checkup.  Mine gained a pound and a half.  He is a beast.

2011: the year of good intentions.

I had such good intentions for 2011, but once more, my plans all blew up in my face. I guess my expectations for last year could be divided into 2 categories: things I wanted to do, and things I wanted Brandon to do. Let's have some fun and take a look at how these resolutions turned out.

Things I wanted to do:

go camping at least 3 times

go on a trip in May

paint 5 pictures

pick dewberries

go kayaking

Okay... I did none of these things. Well, I did go on a trip in May. I threw up for the first day of it and spent most of the rest of it in bed. Between the drought and the ridiculously hot summer, camping and dewberry picking were not in the cards this year. Ditto for kayaking. I managed to paint 2 pictures but after that, my laziness got the best of me.

Things I wanted Brandon to do:

finish his last full year of school

enjoy his internship

interview for a full-time, non-internship job

This part makes me laugh out loud. Instead of finishing school, Brandon committed to 2 more years of schooling. He enjoyed his internship but turned down their full-time job offer. And their part-time job offer. And now he is planning on another internship next summer.

Yeah, things don't go as planned. But it's good. We still managed to have some fun, and Brandon is now on his way to getting a Ph.D and being even more employable. I can wait, because I have these to keep me company: